Cover Story
As economic growth languishes and worries about the specter of deflation mount, much-needed infrastructure development and new sources of project financing could provide a panacea to global growth.

It is essential for companies to work with banking partners they know they can trust. Global Finance’s annual ranking of World’s Safest Banks have been the recognized and trusted standard of financial counterparty safety for more than 20 years.

This year, we updated the name of the awards to reflect the extent to which digitization is transforming our lives in general and banking in particular. By renaming this as the Digital Bank Awards, we are making the competition more inclusive of current technology and more future-focused in anticipation of developments still to come.

Ilan Goldfajn, Itaú

The bank's chief economist believes Brazil is more vulnerable to QE III's eventual end than other countries in Latin America.

Adnan Ahmed Yousif, Al Baraka

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The President and Chief Executive of Al Baraka Banking Group says Islamic banks haven't been hurt by the global financial crisis because they don't buy debt or use derivatives.

Carlos Briceño Ríos, Banco Lafise Bancentro

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The General Manager at Banco Lafise Bancentro discusses Lafise's winning the award as Best Bank in Nicaragua for a second straight year. He also explains why tapering by the US Federal Reserve won't have a big impact on the country's economy.

Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

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The head of the central bank of the Philippines says the country has been able to keep its economy rolling along -- despite the specter of quantitative easing by the US Federal Reserve Board. And in a contrarian take, he also says he's bullish on prospects for emerging markets.